Chopin Recordings

Started by George, April 06, 2007, 06:00:36 AM

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Herman

The Sirota's wonderful, but the good news is, there are no desert islands!

Peregrine

Quote from: Herman on February 08, 2009, 01:37:27 AM
The Sirota's wonderful, but the good news is, there are no desert islands!

;D
Yes, we have no bananas

ezodisy

Quote from: Mandryka on February 08, 2009, 01:26:29 AM
Does anyone out there have tapes, or is there anyone who can point me in the right direction?



That Sirota disc might be the most deeply beautiful playing I've ever heard. I don't know why but there feels something very profound about it (but without any affectation or conceit). Anyway I once asked Allan Evans if there'd be another Sirota release and I think he said they were planning one. Obviously nothing has happened. Even another volume with Tiegerman, scheduled as upcoming for quite some time, still hasn't come out. You do have a couple other options for more Sirota. I bought this set from Japan:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/1080712

and unfortunately it wasn't very good. Sound is awful, really really bad, and the Chopin performances didn't seem all that good (it includes an earlier Ballade 4 which I didn't find as convincing). I was thinking that he'd give an interesting performance of Schumann's Sym Etudes but they were all uniformly slow without any contrast and for me it didn't work at all. I wouldn't recommend buying this.

The other option is this which I've never found:

http://www.amazon.com/Sirota-plays-Chopin-Schumann-Others/dp/B00000G2ID/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234095107&sr=1-8


rubio

Quote from: Herman on February 07, 2009, 10:14:31 PM
I don't listen to those much, but other people do. Some clearly prefer the 78s Mazurkas. You'd have to listen for yourself. They're available on a Naxos 2cd.

I decided to go for Rubinstein's middle set of the Mazurkas (RCA Rubinstein collection 27) plus the early ones on Naxos.
"One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain" Bob Marley

George

Quote from: Herman on February 07, 2009, 10:14:31 PM
I agree about the Rubinstein. People who say "I'd only keep the Rubinstein Berceuse" suffer from sophisticitis, and I frankly advocate getting more of Rubinstein's Chopin than is available in the 11 cd box.


Can I ask what you mean by "sophisticitis?"

FWIW, I do own more of Rubinstein's Chopin than is available in the 11 CD box. I have the two early mono sets of the Nocturnes.

Dr. Dread

Quote from: George on February 08, 2009, 05:39:52 AM
Can I ask what you mean by "sophisticitis?"

I think it's the opposite of what I have.

Herman

Oh, I wasn't meaning to be unkind. I just think it's a little funny to say of a monumental Chopin pianist "I'd keep the Berceuse" in the hypothetical desert island situation. Maybe because I'd at least want the entire Mazurkas and Nocturnes.

And "sophisticitis" would be the morbid form of sophistication, I guess.

George

Quote from: Herman on February 08, 2009, 07:15:26 AM
Oh, I wasn't meaning to be unkind. I just think it's a little funny to say of a monumental Chopin pianist "I'd keep the Berceuse" in the hypothetical desert island situation. Maybe because I'd at least want the entire Mazurkas and Nocturnes.

I see what you mean. I realize that he was a major figure in the history of Chopin recordings, but he just never fully clicked for me. I realize how my statement could seem dismissive of his Chopin, but it was not borne out of just one or two impressions. I value honesty over diplomacy and at times this can make my opinions seem a bit harsh.   


Mandryka

#388
Quote from: ezodisy on February 08, 2009, 03:14:36 AM
Even another volume with Tiegerman, scheduled as upcoming for quite some time, still hasn't come out.


It's nice we all seem to be agreed about Sirota

I'm scared of Tiegerman

I fear that the sound quality is so poor I'll just listen to it a couple of times and then it'll get relegated to the top shelf and will sit there for twenty years.

If you own it, tell me if I am right to be cautious.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darĂ¼ber muss man schweigen

George

Quote from: Mandryka on February 08, 2009, 07:56:09 AM
It's nice we all seem to be agreed about Sirota

Count me among those agreeing as well. I tried one track and really enjoyed it. I never bought it because I expected to find one cheap in the bins. I didn't so I just ordered a copy over at amazon. Thanks for the reminder.

ezodisy

Quote from: Mandryka on February 08, 2009, 07:56:09 AM
I'm scared of Tiegerman

I fear that the sound quality is so poor I'll just listen to it a couple of times and then it'll get relegated to the top shelf and will sit there for twenty years.


If you own it, tell me if I am right to be cautious.

Yeah that's most likely what would happen, the sound is pretty bad. The performances are magnificent however, I think Herman thinks so too, but I doubt it's the sort of thing either of us listens to much (I don't anyway).

Mandryka

I love Natan Brand's Chopin.

But I've started to think I must have bad taste -- someone just put me on to a review of this concert he gave in New York in 1983.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9801E0D6163BF937A35751C0A965948260
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darĂ¼ber muss man schweigen

Holden

Quote from: Mandryka on February 09, 2009, 09:07:13 AM
I love Natan Brand's Chopin.

But I've started to think I must have bad taste -- someone just put me on to a review of this concert he gave in New York in 1983.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9801E0D6163BF937A35751C0A965948260

Anyone who has heard the Rachmaninov recording of the Marcia Funebre will note, with some satisfaction, that he did the same thing in his recording. Just goes to shoe how ignorant many of the reviewers actually are.
Cheers

Holden

Bulldog

Quote from: Mandryka on February 09, 2009, 09:07:13 AM
I love Natan Brand's Chopin.

But I've started to think I must have bad taste -- someone just put me on to a review of this concert he gave in New York in 1983.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9801E0D6163BF937A35751C0A965948260

Just assume that Rothstein is the one with bad taste - problem solved.

ezodisy


George


Dr. Dread

Quote from: Peregrine on February 08, 2009, 01:34:45 AM
Agreed! Beautiful disc.

Now I have it too and can agree with you all.  0:)

Thank you!

George

Quote from: mn dave on February 10, 2009, 06:39:29 PM
Now I have it too and can agree with you all.  0:)

Thank you!

Mine can't get here quick enough.  :-[

Dr. Dread

Quote from: George on February 10, 2009, 06:43:28 PM
Mine can't get here quick enough.  :-[

I know you will not approve, but I downloaded mine.  ;D

George

Quote from: mn dave on February 10, 2009, 06:45:39 PM
I know you will not approve, but I downloaded mine.  ;D

;D

I actually downloaded one track to check it out myself.

With something that old, you probably aren't missing much in terms of SQ anyway.